Publisher Offers Free Wargames to the Unemployed

Refighting Gettysburg or the Battle of the Bulge is scant compensation for losing your job, but a California wargames publisher is trying to help. GMT Gamesis offering two free paper wargames to anyone who has remained unemployed since November 1, 2011. Just send proof of unemployment to gmtoffice@gmtgames.com

Playing games would seem to be the last thing that the jobless need. How dare they focus on capturing Stalingrad when they ought to be out looking for work! Yet the jobless rate is almost 8 percent and likely to remain at that level, as long-term unemployment becomes the norm and finding a job means clawing your way to a position. I won't say that playing complex wargames will guarantee you a job. I will say that being able to master a complex strategy game - not some shallow video game, but a game that demands concentration and finesse - will teach you problem-solving skills and help keep your mental edge sharp in a competitive economy.

With that in mind, here are three recommendations for Wargames For the Unemployed:

Labyrinth: One reason you're unemployed is the trillions America spent on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Here's your chance for payback in Labyrinth, the game of the Global War on Terror. Destroy terrorist cells all over the Middle East (or play the terrorist side, if you're an unemployed Arab who blames America).

Dominant Species: Tired of being told that the American economy is now survival of the fittest? Then find out who's fit to survive in Dominant Species, the game of evolution. Take charge of the mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, arachnid or insects as you fight to make that species supreme on Earth. Considering the ethics of Corporate America, don't be surprised if the reptiles triumph.

Empire of the Sun: Your job was outsourced to Asia, but here's your chance to show what America can accomplish when we unite instead of trampling each other. Empire of the Sun is a strategic game of the Pacific War against Japan. Note that China is an ally rather than an enemy in this game, but if it makes you feel better, you can always pretend that Tokyo is Beijing.